Reckless boaters threaten bird sanctuary

The survival of Aride's Frigatebird colony is under threat due to the irresponsible actions of local boat tour operators.

The Warden of Island Conservation Society (ICS)-managed Aride Island, Mr Mike Betts, explained that people running boat excursions from Praslin have been deliberately making loud noises close to the Frigate colony in order to scare the birds into taking flight.

According to Mr Betts the birds are being disturbed roughly five times every week, and sometimes more than once per day, by boat owners attempting to create photo opportunities for their clients.

Mr Betts said that the disturbance of roosting birds, continued for only a short time, would cause them to leave Aride, the only large roosting site in the inner islands used by Frigates.

In response to the continued disturbance guidelines are being drawn up by the Warden, in conjunction with the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, and to be circulated by the Ministry of Tourism and Transport, informing boat excursion operators that it is illegal to disturb birds in a nature reserve.

Mr Betts said he hoped that once boaters were told that disturbing the birds was illegal, they would stop, but added that, if they did not, further action would be taken.

Current legislation is understood to offer maximum sentences of either a R2,000 fine or 12-month prison term for disturbing animals in a nature reserve.

However, Mr Betts said that the most important thing for people to understand was that disturbing the Frigates endangered part of Seychelles' biodiversity as well as putting at risk a valuable tourist attraction.

Though the disturbances have been taking place for a number of months Mr Betts said that they had increased in frequency lately and cited improved advertising of the nature reserve as a possible cause of this.

The Frigatebird colony is situated on the rocky northern coast of Aride, away from the small research settlement on the southern side, and in an area difficult for the island rangers to patrol.

The highest number of Frigates so far recorded on Aride is in excess of 4,800.

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